Evidence map›Paper›PMID 31937262›Full record

ArticleBMC medical research methodology2020

A modified Delphi study to identify the features of high quality measurement plans for healthcare improvement projects.

Thomas Woodcock, Yewande Adeleke, Christine Goeschel, Peter Pronovost, Mary Dixon-Woods

Abstract read
In one paragraph

Article in BMC medical research methodology, 2020. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 50 papers.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
50citing papers in PubMed
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

50 citing papers in PubMed.

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4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

5 authors.

Thomas WoodcockNIHR ARC Northwest London, Imperial College, Reynolds Building, St. Dunstan's Road, London, W6 8RP, UK. thomas.woodcock99@imperial.ac.uk.ORCID 0000-0002-4735-4856
Yewande AdelekeNIHR ARC Northwest London, Imperial College, Reynolds Building, St. Dunstan's Road, London, W6 8RP, UK.
Christine GoeschelMedstar Health, Institute for Quality and Safety, 10980 Grantchester Way, Columbia, MD, USA.
Peter PronovostUniversity Hospitals Management Services Center, 3605, Warrensville Center Road, Shaker Heights, OH, 44122, USA.
Mary Dixon-WoodsTHIS Institute (The Healthcare Improvement Studies Institute), University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK.

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

backgroundThe design and execution of measurement in quality improvement (QI) initiatives is often poor. Better guidance on "what good looks like" might help to mitigate some of the problems. We report a consensus-building process that sought to identify which features are important to include in QI measurement plans.

methodsWe conducted a three-stage consensus-building approach: (1) identifying the list of features of measurement plans that were potential candidates for inclusion based on literature review and the study team's experience; (2) a two-round modified Delphi exercise with a panel of experts to establish consensus on the importance of these features; and (3) a small in-person consensus group meeting to finalise the list of features.

resultsA list of 104 candidate questions was generated. A panel of 19 experts in the Delphi reviewed these questions and produced consensus on retaining 46 questions in the first round and on a further 22 in the second round. Thematic analysis of open text responses from the panellists suggested a number of areas of debate that were explicitly considered by the consensus group. The exercise yielded 74 questions (71% of 104) on which there was consensus in five categories of measurement relating to: design, data collection and management, analysis, action, and embedding.

conclusionsThis study offers a consensus-based view on the features of a good measurement plan for a QI project in healthcare. The results may be of use to QI teams, funders and evaluators, but are likely to require further development and testing to ensure feasibility and usefulness.

Indexed as

Delphi TechniqueQuality ImprovementConsensusDelivery of Health CareFemaleHumansMaleSurveys and QuestionnairesDelphi techniqueMeasurementQuality improvementQuality measurement

Identifiers

PMID31937262
PMCPMC6961316

What OpenQuestion holds

Textmetadata
LicenceCC BY
Read underepoch 390

Registered trials

None linked

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.